Mother's Day
by Jedi Princess Jainakin
Summary: A collection of vignettes, all centered around Mother's Day
1. Nabooan Morning

**a.n. Hey y'all. Well, I'm back and here is what I've been working on since January. This is my collection of vignettes, all centered around Mother's Day and each focused on a different mother/family/person. I hoping to have seven in all but I'm not quite down with the seventh yet. I posted it up today for three special reasons: 1. Duh, it's about Mother's Day and that's what today is. 2. It's my birthday so this is my treat to all of you. And 3. It's George Lucas' birthday too and I don't think any of us would be reading this if it wasn't for him. Right? Anyways, Enjoy!**

Nabooan Morning

Quiet giggles and hushed whispers slowly pulled Jobal Naberrié from her slumber. The sun was bright, the breeze was crisp, and the sounds of the morning were calm and peaceful. She could sense three people in the room with her, and that brought a warm smile to her face. She knew that her two daughters were standing by and that her husband was lurking about somewhere behind them. She carefully opened her eyes; a happy smile crept upon her face as three happy voices greeted her in unison.

"Happy Mother's Day!"

At these three simple words, she became fully awake and sat up in bed, yawning sleepily and happily. Her husband Ruwee carefully set a tray in her lap filled with fruit, toast, milk, juice, and fresh breakfast pastries. Her eyes lit up as she saw the ensemble; she loved every one of the foods on the tray in front of her. She smiled brightly at her husband and he returned it, his smile just as bright. She looked at the bedside next to her; standing quietly with happy smiles on their young faces were her two young daughters. Sola stood nearest to her, the young woman she was quickly becoming was shown quite evidently on her face. Her youngest daughter Padmé stood a little further away looking every bit the politician she was fast becoming. Ruwee had stepped away from the bed after he had set the tray down, to give his daughters more room to gather around the bedside. She looked at each one of them, smiling happily and gently nodding her head. Padmé and Sola stepped closer to her, looking a little apprehensive but excited at the same time. Sola held out her hand to her mother, showing her that she had been holding a small, gift-wrapped package.

"This is from both of us mom," Sola announced looking at her mother earnestly. Jobal happily accepted the gift from her hands and carefully unwrapped it. She took the now unwrapped box and opened it, her eyes widening in surprise and happiness. She gently took the silvery necklace out of the box and just stared at it, a thousand happy thoughts running through her mind. Padmé and Sola stood nervously in the silence, glancing back and forth between each other and their mother on the bed in front of them, searching for some sign of reaction from her. Suddenly a wide grin broke out on Jobal's face as she set the necklace back into its box and laid it on the tray in front of her. She gestured towards her daughters to come towards her. They cautiously stepped towards her and were quite surprised but happy when she threw her arms around them and hugged them tightly, small tears falling from her eyes.

"Oh! It's beautiful! I love it! Thank you very much you two," Jobal shrieked, happily. She gently pushed her daughters away and gave them each a gentle kiss on the cheek. The two both released a nervous sigh and beamed brightly at their mother. Jobal smiled back and turned her smile to her beaming husband. He nodded knowingly and cleared his throat.

"Come on girls," Ruwee announced as Sola and Padmé turned their faces towards him, "let's let your mother enjoy her breakfast." The girls nodded in agreement and stepped away from the bedside, still smiling at their mother.

"Thank you so much for the gift, and the breakfast. I love you all so very much," Jobal told them as they turned to leave. Padmé turned back towards her mother and smiled at her.

"We love you too Mom, and Happy Mother's Day!" The three left quietly and as Jobal started her breakfast, she began to think about the coming day. She knew that her family had something special planned for her on her special day to show her just how much they loved her. She smiled as a single thought crossed her mind: how lucky she was to have such a loving family.


	2. Tatooine Surprise

**a.n. Well, here's number two in the collection. Just a note: each of these stories could pretty much be canon, nothing is an AU sort of fic, except for the third one. These first two are pre-TPM and the fourth and fifth are EU and those two could be considered canon. Just wanted to warn you all.**

Tatooine Surprise

A hot, dusty wind ruffled the curtains. The harsh sunlight invaded the small, sparse room. A lone occupant lay on the small sleeping pallet in the middle of the room, sleeping peacefully. Slowly she awoke, being roused from her slumber by the increasing warmth of the rising suns. Shmi Skywalker sat up on the edge of her bed, stretched, and looked out the window. One sun was already up and the other was slowly making its appearance above the horizon. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. She turned her heads towards her door as she heard her son making noise somewhere in their small home. She smiled happily to herself. Although life could sometimes be hard for the two of them, she loved her son dearly and wouldn't want it any other way. She winced as she heard a loud crash come from the kitchen. She sighed and got out of bed to go and see what kind of trouble her son had gotten himself into this time.

As Shmi made her way from her bedroom to the kitchen, the crashing and banging got louder. When she finally reached the kitchen, she let out a small chuckle at the sight that greeted her. There was her eight-year-old son, her little Anakin, rushing about the small kitchen, covered head to toe in flour, trying to cook breakfast. She stepped into the kitchen and laughed quietly as she saw her son turn toward her, a sheepish look on his little face. Shmi looked around the kitchen and saw the mess he had made. She knew she should be upset with the mess but when she looked at his face, she found that she couldn't stay mad at him. Anakin slowly stepped towards her, a sad expression on his face. She stooped down to his level and opened her arms to give him a loving hug. Anakin ran towards her and threw his arms around his mother's neck, hugging her tightly. Shmi returned the hug and after a short while, she pushed her son back to look at him. She saw that he was somewhat upset, but she didn't know about what.

"What's wrong Ani?" Shmi asked him gently. Anakin turned his eyes away from her to glance around the kitchen. He slowly brought turned his head back towards her, keeping eyes downcast.

"I'm sorry Mom, I didn't mean to make such a mess," Anakin apologized to her sadly. "I just wanted to make you breakfast and bring it to you on your special day." He carefully returned his eyes back up to look at his mother and Shmi could see tears starting to form. He started to sniffle and Shmi just couldn't stay mad at his remorseful sorrow. She hugged him again in hopes of comforting him. He calmed down a bit and once again Shmi looked at his sad face. She smiled gently at him and stroked his cheek.

"It's okay Ani, I'm not mad at you. I know you didn't mean to make a mess and that you were only trying to do something special for me. Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"So you're not mad at me?" Anakin questioned, still sniffling quietly.

"No Ani, I love you very much and how can I be mad at you for trying to bring me breakfast in bed?" Shmi smiled lovingly at him and tussled his sandy blonde hair. Anakin looked up at his mother, a grateful smile on his face. Shmi wiped his tears away with her thumbs and gently kissed him on his forehead. Shmi pulled her son into another tight embrace before she stood. "Come on Ani, how about you and I clean up the kitchen together?"

"But I didn't want you to have to work on your special day," Anakin whispered, tears starting to spring to his eyes again. Shmi quickly comforted him again before he could start crying. She gently ran her fingers through his hair to soothe him.

"It's okay Ani. I know you wanted to help me today and you tried your hardest to make my life a little bit easier. I love you for trying though. We can just do it together. I love it when you and I do things together anyway." She smiled warmly at her son as he raised his head up towards her, his face brightening a bit. He wiped his tears away with the sleeve of his tunic and, slowly, a bright smile formed on his face. Together, they walked towards the kitchen to clean up the mess.

"Happy Mother's Day Mom," Anakin stated as he turned his smiling face up towards her.

"Thank you Ani," Shmi responded happily as she and her son started cleaning up the mess. Yes, it was turning out to be a great day after all.


	3. Day At the Lake

**a.n. This is the only one out of the seven that would be considered an AU as it focuses on Anakin and Padmé's family life with their twins, Luke and Leia. It's pretty much a one shot by itself as the others don't reference anything in this one and focus mainly on the canon aspect.**

Day At the Lake

The morning had been bright and beautiful. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and the air was crisp and clean. The sun had reached its zenith and was shining its heat to the scene below. Three figures were splashing around in the crystal blue lake while a fourth was gently basking in the sun's warmth on the shore. She was watching the scene before here, smiling brightly. She grinned as she heard the happy squeals of her children and the deep, hearty laugh of her husband as they chased and splashed each other in the lake. She watched happily as her husband hoisted her daughter up onto his shoulders and her son playfully splashing both of them. She heard the voice of her husband as he picked up the little boy and kindly asked him to stop his splashing, a happy smirk on his face. She saw her son shake his head, obviously disagreeing with his father, and she could only imagine the mischievous gleam in his eye. She knew her husband would have the same twinkle in his and she chuckled to herself as she saw her son being gently tossed into the water by his father. She heard her daughter laughing at her brother's expense and watched as her son rose to the surface, a scowl on his face. He crossed his pudgy arms and glared up at his father and sister. They both glared back down at him. Soon, all three of them were laughing happily, unable to continue their glaring contest. Padmé Skywalker leaned back and released a contented sigh as she continued to watch her family. She laughed at Luke and Leia's antics as they attempted to knock their father down into the water. She beamed when she saw Anakin finally relent and allow his children to push him over. When they did so, they began to climb all over him, trying to sit on top of him. She could see his fake anger, but knew that he was only pretending to be angry and upset. She knew he loved having Luke and Leia hang on him like this and he only acted angry to humor them.

After a few more minutes of playful wrestling, Anakin looked her way and caught her eye. They smiled happily at each other as they heard the delightful cries of their children She watched Anakin rise, despite the protests of his children, and start to walk her direction.

"Dad's kinda tired right now you two. I'm going to go sit with Mommy for a bit. Why don't you two play in the sand together for awhile?" Anakin questioned the two little figures that clung to him. He chuckled as he saw them look at each other as they each hung onto his legs, Leia on one and Luke on the other. They smiled and turned their faces back up towards Anakin and nodded cheerfully. They detached themselves from him and rushed off together to find something to play with.

Anakin stared after them for a few moments before heading towards Padmé. She smiled when he reached her side and leaned up as he began to lean towards her. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, a kiss full of love and life. They stayed like that for a few moments, only parting when they began to run out of breath. Slowly they pulled away and stared at each other. Deep blue eyes met dark brown in a loving stare, smiles forming on both their faces.

"Well, I love you too," Padmé chuckled. Anakin smiled back at her, an impish look on his face. He walked over to her other side and sat down next to her on the large blanket they had brought with them. She leaned over and snuggled into his shoulder as he leaned back on his arms and allowed his body to absorb the warmth of the sun. They watched their five-year-old twins as they happily played in the sand, running around and chasing each other with great delight. The couple relaxed against each other, basking in not only the warmth of the sun, but also in the warm glow of their love. Padmé reached up to kiss Anakin gently on his cheek. He turned to look at her, a loving smile on his face.

"Not that I'm objecting or anything," he chuckled, "but why did you do that?"

"Because I love you," Padmé replied, grinning from ear to ear, "and I wanted to thank you for everything we have done today. So thank you. Very, very much."

"Well, you're welcome, but you don't have to thank me. Today is your day I and I wanted it to be special for you. I wanted to let you know how much I love you, how much you mean to me...to all three of us," Anakin added with a nod towards Luke and Leia giggling in the sand.

Padmé's smile widened and she moved closer to Anakin, cuddling against him. They sat there in silence together with only the sounds of the gently lapping waves and the gleeful cries of their children disturbing the quiet. As she sat there, Padmé reflected upon what the day meant to her.

Anakin and the twins had let her sleep in, and when she had gotten up, they had breakfast all ready on the table for her. All her favorite foods were there and she lovingly kissed each member of her family to thank them and gladly set out to enjoy the delicious food her family had thoughtfully prepared for her. Anakin, and the twins where they could, helped clean up the house afterwards and insisted that she should relax and Anakin assured her that he would take care of everything. He felt that she shouldn't have to work on her day. So Padmé sat back and watched Anakin's attempts to direct and help the twins in their cleaning duties. She had laughed when Anakin turned away from Leia washing the dishes to help Luke with some dusting when Leia suddenly started splashing around in the water, soaking everything in sight and making even more of a mess. She remembered Anakin's sheepish smile turn towards her as he tried to clean up the mess she had made. She remembered Luke sneezing in all the dust, blowing even more around. At this point shed had gotten up and went over to Luke. She picked him up and walked over to Anakin, still trying to clean up Leia's mess. She had laid her hand on Anakin's shoulder and suggested that they go spend some time down by the lake. Anakin breathed a heavy sigh of relief and Padmé had seen the look of thankfulness in his eyes. She had asked Threepio to finish the cleaning and, with Luke still in her arms, she had followed Anakin, carrying Leia, down the hall to get ready for the day.

Padmé sighed happily against her husband's shoulder as she remembered the morning's events. She watched as the twins ran up to them from the shore, wet faces grinning with all the innocence of children. They came and squeezed in to sit between their parents. Anakin let out a shocked chuckle and Luke turned to look at him, a childish smile on his face and his blue eyes sparkling with happiness. Anakin smiled fondly at his son and tussled the sandy blonde hair. Leia giggled from her spot next to her mother as she caught Padmé's eye, showing off her beautiful smile and mischievous eyes. Padmé smiled back down at her daughter and ran her fingers through her daughter's brown tresses. The four of them sat quietly together, enjoying the loving presences of each other as they watched the sun set behind the mountains across the lake.


	4. Sunset On Coruscant

**a.n. This is number four and it references some things from the canon and is not at all connected to the third one.**

Sunset on Coruscant

The evening sunlight cast a warm glow into the brightly colored room. The room itself was airy and spacious, and full of comfortable-looking furniture. The furniture wasn't extravagant and showed all the wear and tear of love and use.

The sunlight illuminated the large sofa sitting in the middle of the room. Five figures could be seen curled up together on it, basking in the warmth of the dim lighting. Four of the figures were sleeping contently, happily dreaming. The fifth sat quietly and watched her family dream away. Leia Organa Solo watched dreamily as her husband groaned in his sleep and she smiled wistfully as she saw her twins, Jaina and Jacen, snuggle even closer to their father, heads gently resting on his broad chest. She looked down at her youngest son, little Anakin, sleeping peacefully with his head buried in her bosom, breathing softly. She gently stroked the two-year-old's soft black hair, reveling in the quiet solitude of her family's presence.

Quiet times like this were few and far between, and she made a vow to enjoy them whenever they came. She was often occupied with her politics, negotiations, treaties, and meetings. Her husband Han was generally kept busy too, often flying her around for a variety of functions or attending banquets and balls and the like with her. She smiled as she gave her sleeping husband a proud look. She knew he didn't like attending such functions and the Force knows how tired she is of all the bickering and fighting that goes on in the world of politics. Both of them were always looking for a way to just live quietly and find someplace peaceful to raise their kids. But they both knew that they needed to stay where they are, at least for the time being, until the New Republic is stable enough to fend off the Imperial Remnant without their help. They hoped it would be soon, but knew that that was a hope that would probably never happen.

Leia sighed as her eyes wandered over her three sleeping children. She deeply regretted that she was gone from them for long periods of time, and only wished that she could provide her children with the stable home environment that she knew they deserved. With her and Han always bouncing around the galaxy to who knows where, Anakin and the twins were often left behind. Sometimes the three would remain on Coruscant under the watchful eyes of Winter. Sometimes they stayed on Kashyyyk with Chewbacca and his family. Other times, they stayed with their Uncle Luke at his Jedi Academy on Yavin IV. She knew that they would always be watched carefully, wherever they were and that she had nothing to fear. But she did, she was always fearful when it came to them. She didn't like leaving her children, even when she knew they were in good hands. She was always scared that something would happen to them if she and Han weren't around to protect them. She was always scared that the next time she left would be the last time that she ever saw any of them. She was always scared because she was their mother and as a mother, she would always worry for her children.

Their mother. That's what she was, a mother. Even though Jaina and Jacen were nearly four years old, she was still getting used to being a mother. Growing up, she didn't have very many maternal role models to draw from. She knew her own mother had died soon after giving birth to her and her brother and even though her adopted mother, Breha Organa, was there for the first part of her life, she just never felt like a mother to her. She knew that Breha loved her and treated her as if she was her own daughter, but Leia had always had this feeling deep within her that was always reserved for her real mother and no matter how much she knew Breha loved her, Leia could never see her as her mother. It was at times like this when she wished she had a mother's advice. She wished her mother would have given her advice about feeling this way, about feeling guilty leaving your children someplace while you go off somewhere else, about fearing for your child's safety, about wanting to be there for them when you can't. She wished she had someone who could have taught her about these feelings, because at times like this, she felt like she was making things up as she went along, never knowing if she was doing the right thing or if it was okay to feel the way she was feeling. But she was thankful that she was here for her children, at least part of the time. She may have to go away for a while at times, but when they needed her, she would be there for her children, no matter what. She would always make sure that her children knew who she was and knew that she loved them.

Leia was brought out of her ruminations by the sound of her husband's stirring. She stared at him lovingly as he began to wake up. She watched his slow movements as he stretched his hands above him, gently as not to wake the two young children snuggled close against him. His eyelids opened bit by bit until Leia was staring passionately into those dark eyes that she loved dearly. Han's awareness finally came back to him and he noticed Leia staring at him. He smiled at her as he caught her eye. He let out a deep yawn and rubbed his eyes to wake up.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Leia playfully teased her husband, watching a sheepish grin break out on his face, "you seem like you had a good nap."

"Good morning to you too, sweetheart. And yes, it was a very good nap indeed," Han replied as he looked over his three children. "Have they been asleep the whole time?"

"Yes they have. They fell asleep right after you did. You must make a pretty good pillow," Leia teased him, nodding her head towards the sleeping twins. "They must have been tired out from today."

"I think they were. They were so excited about going to the zoo and the gardens today." The Solo family had gone out that day to celebrate Mother's Day. After a big breakfast at a nice restaurant, the family had gone to the Galactic Zoo. All the children loved going to the zoo to see the animals, especially Jacen, and they tried to go together as often as they could. They hadn't been able to spend much time together recently, due to various political functions and important trips around the galaxy. Han and Leia both missed spending time with their kids and made the most of the day to make up for all the times that they couldn't be there for them.

After an exciting day at the zoo, the family went on a picnic in the gardens. They had a nice lunch and the children enjoyed seeing the plants and flowers that grew there from all parts of the galaxy. Of course they enjoyed it so much, that the twins often ran off, trying to see as much as they could, leaving their parents far behind. Han would have to chase after them as Leia hung back, laughing merrily with little Anakin at her side until the twins would appear a few minutes later, innocent expressions on their faces and an exasperated Han following close behind. But of course a few minutes later, the twins would be off again and Han would have to chase after them down, yet again.

Leia's smile brightened as she remembered the day that they had had. She was glad that she could be here today for her kids. Mother's Day had become one of her favorite holidays because it was a day that she could spend with her family, no matter what was going on in the galaxy around them. Mother's Day was just a day to spend together as a family, a day to just celebrate her love for her family and their love for her. And today was no exception. She knew that despite whatever else was going on in the galaxy around them, the love that they held for each other could never change and that it never would.

Leia glanced back her still drowsy husband, a contented, loving smile on her face.

"Come on, let's go put the little ones to bed. They've had a long day." Han nodded his head in agreement, carefully managing to wrap his arms around the twins without waking them up, and ever so skillfully stood up, one child in each arm, heads resting peacefully on his shoulders. Leia gently lifted Anakin up into her arms and walked down the hallway to their children's bedroom with her husband following close behind.

**a.n.2: Sorry, I felt like I needed another one here. The one thing I felt would make this better would be to have Leia's adopted mother die when she was young, rather than when Alderaan blew up. I always thought that she died when Leia was younger, but I've seen it where it says she lived and died with the destruction of Alderaan. I just used my personal preference with this one (and number six as well) and it seems to work.**


	5. Evening Twilight

**a.n. This one has quite a bit of references to events that happened in the EU so it might be beneficial to you if you knew what was going on.**

Evening Twilight

The light from the moon cast a soft, pale glow into the dark room. The twinkling stars in the night sky gave the place a serene, peaceful aura. Everything was quiet and calm.

A lone shadow sat upright, leaning against the headboard of the large spacious bed that she occupied. She cradled a small, blanket wrapped bundle in her arms as she glanced lovingly at the dark outline of her husband, sleeping peacefully next to her. The moonlight gently bounced of her red-gold hair and she sighed as she turned her emerald gaze to the small bundle in her arms. A wistful smile spread across her face as she looked down upon her sleeping son, a contented peaceful look upon his face. She leaned forward and kissed him gently on his tiny forehead, tenderly caressing his small head. She returned her gaze back to her husband, smiling brightly as he stirred next to her, the breeze rustling his sandy blonde hair. As she stared lovingly down upon her sleeping husband, Mara Jade Skywalker couldn't help but think back on the events of her life that led her to this moment, a moment where she was surrounded by peace and contentment and basking in the love that she felt emanating from her husband and son.

Her life hadn't been an easy one, that's for sure. She was taken from her parents at a young age, trained by the Emperor himself in the ways of the Force and turned into a deadly assassin. All her life, she had done what she had been trained to do. She followed orders, did whatever the Emperor asked her. She never thought about why she did what she did, she never questioned her unwavering loyalty and devotion to the Emperor. Never, that is, until she had met Luke Skywalker. For five years she had been consumed with anger towards him, a burning rage because of his involvement in the death of her master. For those five years, she wanted nothing more than to kill him, to finally rid herself of Palpatine's last command so she could move on with her life. Yet when she finally met Luke on Myrkr, she couldn't help but second-guess her past. Every task she had carried out on behalf of the Emperor, everything she had done since she could remember, everything that was once clear-cut and obvious had suddenly become muddled and dim. She hadn't known what to believe in anymore. But she had felt a kind of relief once she had killed Luuke, Luke's clone, and she had had a feeling that this was her opportunity to start anew, to get a fresh start on life, to live her life the way she wanted to live it, to follow her own heart and desires, rather than someone else's.

For another ten years she had traveled around the galaxy, working with Karrde's organization, becoming an independent trader, and trying to avoid Skywalker. Although she avoided him whenever she could, especially whenever he brought up the subject of her studying at the Academy, she never passed up an opportunity to help him whenever he got in trouble. At first, she was just trying to lend a helping hand, trying to be a Good Samaritan, a friend. But as time went on, she started to realize that that wasn't the only reason she was always so willing to drop whatever she was doing to help him. She began to understand that she was starting to have feelings for him, that she truly felt for him, that she never wanted him to be in trouble, to be hurt. As these feelings began to surface, she tried to squash them but they would always reemerge. Eventually, they found themselves together on Nirauan, working together and cooperating with one another to overcome dire odds. It was at this point that she and Luke had developed a connection, a bond, one so strong, she realized that she couldn't live without him. Obviously, Luke had felt the same way, for he had proposed to her under the most dismal of circumstances. She had graciously accepted and they were soon married, and now, nearly ten years later, here they were together, with their infant son, little Ben Skywalker.

Mara smiled contemplatively as she thought about her past, about what she had done and where her choices had led her. Certainly there were things from her past that she wasn't proud of. But Luke had generously forgiven her for all of them, reassuring her that it didn't matter how shady her past may have been because it was all a part of who she was and it had helped to shape her into the woman she had become. To him, it wasn't her past that mattered, but the present and her future with him, their future together.

She grinned as she felt Luke turn over towards her and let out a huge sigh as he woke up. She watched as he opened his baby blue eyes, sleepily, and turned his head up towards her. Mara looked lovingly at his face as their eyes locked on one another. Luke grinned back up at her and moved to sit up next to her on the bed. As he did so, he was careful not to move too much so he didn't wake up Ben, who was still quietly sleeping in his mother's arms.

Now fully erect and leaning against the headboard next to his loving wife, Luke Skywalker stretched his arms above his head and rubbed his eyes as he woke up. Once fully awake, he turned back towards his wife a happy grin on his face. Mara looked back at him, her smile just as joyful.

"What are you doing awake, Skywalker? You should be asleep," Mara teased him.

"So should you Mara," Luke sleepily replied, "may I ask what your reason is for being awake at so late an hour?"

"Well, I was just thinking," she answered thoughtfully.

"What about?" Luke questioned her, a compassionate look in his eyes.

"About everything," Mara responded, looking at him sorrowfully, "about my past, about me and you, about everything that I've done and where it's taken me." She looked deeply into his eyes and he could see the sadness, the remorse that filled those emerald pools that he so desperately loved. He could feel the pain she was going through, how much she was hurting and he scooted closer to his wife's side to comfort her better. He put his arm around her shoulder and was relieved when she leaned in close to him, resting her head on his shoulder, trying to forget the painful memories that she was reliving. Luke poured all his love for her into their bond, hoping to comfort her in some way, to ease her pain and suffering. Mara relaxed against him, thankful for his comforting presence and his warm embrace. They sat in silence together for a long while, content to just be there in each other's arms.

A short time later, their peaceful solitude was interrupted by soft cries emanating from Mara's arms. They both turned their faces towards their small son, who was still resting in his mother's arms, but was now wide-awake. Luke laid his hand on his son's hand soothingly, as Mara gently rocked him in her arms, both trying to get Ben to relax. They managed to get him settled down, but not back to sleep, and Ben continued to stare up at his parents, his bright blue eyes shimmering in the moonlight. As Mara looked at the innocent face of her son, her regrets about her past just flew out the window. She realized that her husband was right, that she shouldn't worry so much about what has already passed because she couldn't change it if she wanted to. Instead, she knew she had to focus on the present and where that would lead her in the future. She knew that everything had led her up to this point in her life, this point where she was surrounded by love with her husband close to her side and her son in her arms. It was this love that brought them together, that gave them their son, that had turned this day into something special. Today was a day where she should just be thankful that she had such love in her life.

Throughout her life, she had never been able to celebrate a day like today. She had never had any maternal figures to look up to for the part of her life that she could remember and as an adult, there hadn't been a reason for her to even think about it. Until she had married Luke and had become a member of his family, she had very nearly forgotten about it. In all their years of marriage, she couldn't help but feel some sort of longing every year whenever she looked at Leia and her family celebrate on this day, laughing together, loving together. She had Luke of course, and they had always been content to be with one another, to be together, just the two of them and allow Leia to celebrate with her family on her special day. But she wished she could share in their celebration, that she could feel what Leia was feeling, surrounded by her husband and children.

When Ben came into their lives not so long ago, she had finally been able to feel the same sort of joy that Leia experienced every Mother's Day. She finally knew what it meant to have someone so innocent to love and take care of, someone who looked up to you, who looked to you for protection and love. She had finally felt a complete and fulfilling sense of peace and contentment, one she hoped would never go away.

Mara noticed her son falling back to sleep at the same time she felt her eyes begin to droop, her consciousness slowly leaving her. She turned to her sleepy husband next to her, seeing him in same state of mind. They looked at each other with a knowing look and Mara slowly got out of bed to lay her son in his crib next to their bed. She tucked Ben in and gently kissed him on his forehead. As she crawled back into bed to lie beside her loving husband, both of them succumbing to sleep, she let out a contented sigh and she felt herself smile as one last happy thought crossed her mind: though today was her first-ever Mother's Day, she was happily looking forward to many more to come.


	6. An Alderaanian Afternoon

An Alderaanian Afternoon

The day was perfect. The sky was clear and blue, the sun was gently shining, a soft breeze blew across the flowers, and the garden was filled with the aromatic scent of thousands of plants from hundreds of worlds. The happy chirps of insects and joyful songs of birds could be heard, floating in the air.

A stony path wound lazily through the garden, allowing any passers-by an astounding view and an unforgettable experience. Along the path, a young girl happily skipped about, stopping every few steps to sniff a flower, inspect a plant, or to just feel the cool wind on her face. Not far behind her, a tall figure followed. His regal clothes fluttered gently in the breeze as he watched the young child in front of him, merrily ambling along the path, oblivious to everything but the beauty that surrounded her. The man's dark-complexioned face showed a small smile, but the pain in his eyes betrayed the joyous front he tried to put on for the sake of the young girl. He knew that she deserved to be happy because of all the tragedies that she has faced in her nine short years, and he didn't want her to see his sadness, especially in a place like this, particularly on this day. He wished that his daughter, his princess, his little Leia, had someone to celebrate with on this day. She deserved so much more than what he could provide for her, most importantly, a mother.

Four years ago, at the tender age of five, Leia had lost the only mother she had ever known. Breha Organa had passed away after a long illness shortly after Leia's fifth birthday. All her life, Leia had known that she was adopted and that Bail and Breha Organa weren't her real parents, but Breha had always accepted Leia with open arms, had always loved her like her own flesh and blood, and it was still painful for her to lose someone so important at such a young age. She had been inconsolable for many days and depressed for weeks afterwards. She often lost her temper whenever she saw children, especially girls her own age, laughing and having fun with their mothers. It wasn't a rare occasion when Bail would have to rescue Leia from her fits, apologize to the other children and their parents, and do his best to calm his distressed daughter. He had spent many long hours soothing the little girl, drying her tears with a damp cloth, hugging her tightly, stroking her hair, and talking to her in soft, gentle tones. Oftentimes, Leia would calm down and fall asleep, exhausted from her outburst. Other times, she would calm, only to burst into tears, seeking comfort from her father, who would hold her closer and lovingly reassure her.

As time went on, Leia's temper tantrums were few and far between and after nearly five months, she stopped her angry tirades and accepted Breha's death. Bail knew that Leia needed a mother, and though he loved his little girl with all his heart, he wished that she had had the opportunity to know her real mother. He knew that Leia would have loved Padmé and that Padmé would have been proud of the young woman that Leia was transforming into. His one desire was that Leia could be with her family, a family that could have held such promise and such love. He wished that Leia could grow up in a big, happy, loving family with her parents and her brother, one where all the troubles that were plaguing the galaxy could be forgotten and they could just focus on their love for one another and being together as a family. But sadly, he knew, that never could, and never would, be. Padmé was gone forever and Leia would never know her love. Luke and Leia could never be together, could never know each other. And then there was Anakin. Bail sighed as he watched Leia skipping along, his thoughts turning to Leia's biological father. He didn't even want to think about the man Anakin had become. No, not man…monster. Anakin could no longer be called a man, a Jedi, a husband, or a father. Not after what he did, after what he became. He had betrayed his friends, the Jedi, the Republic, but most importantly, he had betrayed Padmé, his wife, his lover, his soul mate, and he had betrayed his unborn children, two innocent souls that never deserved to be brought up in a galaxy of war without knowing their true parents or family, without knowing who they truly were. He knew that all Anakin ever wanted was to protect Padmé and his growing family, to keep them safe and make sure nothing would ever happen to them. As a father, he could understand that, trying to do anything and everything in your power to protect the ones you love. But what he couldn't fathom was why Anakin, once a great man and powerful Jedi, felt that the only way to save Padmé and his children was to do what he did, slaughter the Jedi, kill the Younglings, turn to the Dark Side and become Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. How could he do such horrible things and end up hurting the ones that he cared about and those who cared for him? When he turned, he didn't help save Padmé at all; rather, he only succeeded in making his dream come to pass. After everything he had done and everything he had tried to prevent, he only ended losing all that he tried desperately to protect: his friends, his wife, his unborn children, and, ultimately, himself.

Bail was drawn from his musings by Leia's jovial cry. He focused his attention on her and watched as she bounded happily towards him, an ecstatic smile on her face.

"Come on Daddy," Leia pleaded with him, tugging on his arm, trying to lead him down another winding path, "let's go."

Bail couldn't help but be amused at Leia's joyful attitude. She was such a happy, carefree child, always on the move, curious and constantly looking for new things to try out or new places to see. She had such a fiery spirit, a determined attitude, and a strong will. _The same characteristics,_ Bail mused with a sad smile, _as her mother._ Always eager to please and do the right thing, Leia never gave up and was always focused on doing things herself, with no help, and she worked hard until she got them done. _That very same attitude would turn her into a great politician someday,_ Bail told himself, _just like Padmé._ Yet again, Bail felt a pang of sadness as he thought of Padmé but forced himself out of his thoughts to focus on Leia, who was standing before him with a curious and puzzled look on her face. He gave her a fatherly look of affection, nodded his head, and allowed himself to be dragged down the path by Leia.

"Okay, little princess, lead the way." Bail laughed at Leia's shy expression and smiled as her eyes lit up with his comment. To him, Leia was a princess, not just because she really was the Princess of Alderaan, but because she was his little girl, the love of his life. She was a sweet, loving little girl, always eager to help people and never afraid to speak her mind. He loved her with all his heart and would do anything for her, as any father would do for his daughter. He was happy to spend this day with her. But he felt that Leia deserved to spend Mother's Day with a mother.

Bail sighed wistfully as Leia happily dragged him along. Leia had loved spending Mother's Day with Breha those first few years of her life. She would spend the day with Breha, doing and enjoying those mother-daughter activities that he would never understand. Going on long walks in the garden, picking flowers, going on picnics, shopping. All were activities that Leia had loved doing with Breha and would never again have an opportunity to enjoy again. Even if he did remarry for her sake, it would never be the same for her. Breha was the one and only mother she had ever known and could never be replaced in her heart with anyone. Ever since her death, he had tried to continue on with the Mother's Day activities that she had come to enjoy with Breha. Every year, they shared the same garden walks, the same picnics, the same flower picking, even the same shopping outings that she had once shared with Breha. He tried to fulfill the hole that his wife's death had left on Leia, but he knew that he would never be able to and no one ever would. He just hoped that someday, Leia would be able to be happy on this day and celebrate it, to spend it as a mother with children and a family of her own. As Leia continued to drag him along down path after path after path, stopping to sniff the flowers that grew alongside, this last thought filled his mind and a bright smile to his face, the first one he had been able to manage in such a long time. He let all his negative thoughts float away on the breeze as he concentrated on living in the moment, watching his precocious daughter enjoy this beautiful, sunny day.


	7. Sandstorm At Noon

**a.n. ok, I know its been 2 weeks since I submitted this story and I said I would have the last chapter done, but I've been very busy and I haven't had the time (or motivation) to finish it. But I was thinking about it a lot today (during "Spring" cleaning) and I thought I should finish it. So here it is, the final chapter of my Mother's Day collection. I want to thank all of you who reviewed, even those who didn't, but I would like to give recognition to rockyrelay. Thank you rocky for reviewing pretty much every single one of my works. Thanks! In case you were wondering, after this, I plan on writing the next chapter of _Slave _and hopefully _Destiny, _now that I kinda know what I want to write. I have another poem collection in the works, as well as a totally new story. Be on the lookout for those sometime, in the (hopefully) near future. **

Sandstorm at Noon

The harsh sunlight beat down mercilessly upon the sand-covered planet below. The stifling heat was suffocating and the unforgiving bright light scarred the eyes. The hot, dry wind blew the grains of sand haphazardly and violently about, generating whirlwinds of grit and dust. These small vortexes blew wildly about, striking everything in their paths, unrelenting in their campaign of destruction. The small tornadoes grew larger and larger, combining their mighty forces into one devil of a storm, continuing its relentless crusade and its quest of wreaking havoc upon hapless wanderers and objects unfortunate enough to be caught outside in the angry tirade.

A small moisture farm stood alone in the middle of the desert, the storm's fury lashing against it, trying its hardest to tear down the fortified duraplast walls and unleash all its might on the frightened victims inside. The wind howled, the storm raged and the sand pelted endlessly against the small home, terrifying the small family huddling inside.

A small boy was cowering in the arms of a young woman, both with looks of abject fear written across their faces. A young man sat nearby, his arm lying across the woman's shoulders, trying to comfort her, though the look of fear in his eyes and his own slightly trembling form suggested he was just as frightened as the other two. Together, the small family sat comfortingly in each other's arms, trying to forget the deadly storm that continued to assault their small home.

The storm slowly started to die down, though it continued to unleash its deadly assault and terrible power on the small homestead. Gradually, the family untangled themselves from each other's arms and quietly stood up. They could still hear the storm lashing ferociously against the walls outside. The young man wandered over to one of the windows as the young woman hung back, tightly hugging the little boy whimpering in her arms.

"How bad is it Owen?" the young woman whispered fearfully as the young man looked out the window at the desert outside, quickly surveying the damage the storm managed to wreak upon the farm equipment.

"It's pretty bad Beru," Owen replied, "the vaporators look pretty beat up. I'm probably going to have to go pick up parts for them, all of them." Owen turned to look back towards Beru, a sad, defeated look in his eyes. "But I can't do anything about it right now, not while the storm is still raging. I'll try to get to town as soon as the storm dies down, but who knows when that could be. These storms could last days, even weeks." Owen turned his attention to the young boy nestled in Beru's arms, as his whimpers grew louder. His eyes found Beru's as they looked sadly at each other. She turned her face towards the boy and tried to calm down the frightened lad.

"Shh, Luke, it's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of. The storm's almost over. It's okay Lukie, everything will be alright." Beru's calming voice soothed the distraught boy, and soon enough, the whimpering quieted and Luke's sobs deceased. He turned his teary eyes and damp face up towards Beru. Her heart ached as she looked at his terrified expression and she wished more than ever that she didn't have to be the one to comfort him. She loved Luke with all her heart and she was overjoyed that he was here with her and Owen and that they were granted the privilege of raising him, since they didn't have any children of their own. But it was at times like this, when Luke was scared and upset, that he really should have had his mother with him, rather that his aunt and uncle. He needed Padmé during stressful times like this to comfort him, to tell him everything would be all right, to dry his tears, to ease his fears. Even though Ben had never told them who Luke's mother was, she and Owen had no doubt that it was indeed the pretty young woman that Anakin had brought with him when he came for his mother nearly twelve years ago. The looks that Anakin gave her, the way they acted towards one another; it was painfully obvious that Padmé was indeed the mother of the scared little boy in her arms. But what had happened to her was another story. Ben had only told them that she had died in childbirth and had left it at that. But the look of remorse, regret, guilt, and sadness that descended upon his eyes had told them that there was more to the story. They felt that it was too painful a tale to be told and hadn't pressured him to tell the full story until he was ready. He had yet to do so.

Her attention was drawn back to Luke, wiggling around in his arms. His cheeks still showed the telltale tracks of tears and he was still sniffing, but he had calmed down considerably.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Beru asked the nine-year-old boy in a motherly tone of voice.

Luke nodded his head. "Uh huh, Aunt Beru. I feel better." He looked up at her face and she just had to smile at the brave façade he tried to present. Her happy smile was contagious and Luke's face soon adopted a similar playful grin. Owen walked across the room to join them, a happy smile breaking out across his face. He ruffled his nephew's sandy blonde hair, gave his wife a quick kiss on the cheek, and wandered away into his bedroom, beginning to make preparations for his trip into town when the storm would finally stop.

Beru and Luke watched him leave and let themselves relax as the noise of the storm beating against the walls outside grew quieter.

"Well," Beru started, "what do you say we get back to our little celebration?" Luke turned his grinning face up towards her and nodded, eagerly. Beru laughed at his impatient wiggling and set him down on the ground. She watched him bound off happily towards the dining room and as she slowly followed behind him, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. Today was a special day, a day reserved for families, but more importantly for mothers and their children. Today was Mother's Day and Luke should be spending it with his mother and father, celebrating being a family and their love for each other. She was grateful for his presence here and she vowed to protect him as long ash she lived. But Luke, she knew, deserved to be celebrating today with Padmé. She knew there was nothing like the love and the bond between mother and child, a bond that was formed from the first moment a child was conceived in its mother's womb. There was a similar connection between her and her nephew, after all, she was the only mother he had ever known and would probably be the only one he would ever know. But nothing could be as strong as the tie between mother and child, the link that Luke needed and should have with Padmé. It was because she loved Luke that she wished he could be with his family. She wanted her nephew, the bright shy young boy whom she loved so much, to experience life with his true family and she would give anything to do that for him, to give it to him.

"Aunt Beru, Aunt Beru! Where are you?"

Beru's thoughts were interrupted by Luke's happy, joyful calls. She shook her head and upon entering the dining room, she caught the boy who was running towards her, jovially. He gently grabbed her arm and tugged her towards the partially eaten food on the table. They had been in the middle of a large breakfast, prepared for her by Owen and Luke, when the storm had struck. They quickly left the dining room to take shelter in the family room, the lowest and most protected place in their home, just in case the storm got too rough. They had huddled in there for hours, waiting for the storm to die down.

By now the food was cold, but Beru was determined to finish it. After all, it wasn't everyday that her husband and her nephew got up to make breakfast for her. Of course, today wasn't an ordinary day. Today was a day where Owen and Luke celebrated her, a day where they showed her how much they loved her, a day where they did all the chores around the homestead so she could relax and enjoy her day. Today they treated her like they knew she should be treated, like a mother.

Beru released a sigh as she sat down at her place at the table while Luke happily chatted away. She knew that Owen and Luke always had the best intentions whenever they treated her on this day. But she couldn't help but feel somewhat sad when the empty void in her hear reminded her that she really wasn't who they were trying to make her be. She really wasn't a mother and that thought always filled her with longing and sadness whenever she thought about it. She fervently longed to have children of her own someday, but sadly, it had never happened and she had a feeling that it never would. For now, she was happy to be a loving aunt to her nephew and she promised herself that she would always be there for Luke whenever he needed her, just as if his mother would if she were there.

Beru looked at her nephew's happily smiling face as he ate and she couldn't help but smile at his infectious attitude. Yes he was her nephew and no she wasn't his mother, but she wouldn't ever want to be anywhere else. She would always want to be here with him, being the mother he would never have the opportunity to know or to love. She heard her husband coming from the bedroom and as he approached, she let that sense of love and contentment that she felt whenever she was surrounded by her family wash over her. She was glad that her life had turned out the way it did and she couldn't be prouder of the young boy sitting across from her. She would make the most of her time with him and shower him with all the love and devotion that a mother would give him. She would raise the boy to be a bright, intelligent one man, who might one day grow up and have a great impact on the galaxy. She would give him everything she desired for her own children. She would help to mold him into what he was meant to be, Anakin's son, a selfless man, a true Jedi.

With that last thought, Beru happily continued conversing with her husband and nephew over their now cold dinner as the sandstorm continued its deadly assault, unable to deter the family inside from their happy and loving Mother's Day celebration.


End file.
